House Republicans flip-flop on minimum wage

Republicans can't shut up about their so-called principles. They love to crow that they never, ever betray their conservative "principles" for the sake of political gain.

Except, that they do, of course. The Bush administration was against tariffs until it needed to shore up a couple of wobbly congressional districts in the rust belt. Voila! Bush signed off on steel tariffs.

Conservatives claim to be against intrusive government, but that doesn't stop them peering into the bedrooms of people they don't like (gays, single women, married couples who think there's more to sex than the missionary position). They support warrantless surveillance against American citizens because it's a good "national security" election issue.

The GOP pretends to be pro-military, but the governing party sends American troops into combat poorly equipped, all the while cutting taxes for the richest one percent.

Now, we can add another conservative principle to the scrap heap of political expediency: the minimum wage.

Republicans have always talked a hard game when it came to the minimum wage. They oppose it, no IFs, ANDs or BUTs. For the last decade, year in and year out, as they enjoyed unassailable majority power, GOP lawmakers have stood in the way of an increase in the minimum wage. But that was then. This is now.

Now, the tide of public opinion has turned against the GOP. Poll after poll indicates the GOP is in real danger of losing its congressional majority. Most Americans hate the Republican Party and what it stands for. Therefore, what it stands for is going to have to step aside, at least through November 7, 2006.

House Republicans are planning to vote on an increase in the minimum wage, right before they break for the summer recess.

"Whether people like it or not, we need to go ahead with it," said Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del., who supports the idea. "There's a general agreement among Republicans (opposing the raise) that `maybe we don't like it much, but we need to move forward with it just for political reasons.'"

GOP lawmakers have no intention of actually passing a raise in the minimum wage, mind you. They just want to be able to go home to their districts in August and tell their constituents that they voted in favor of a bill to increase it. The measure itself is loaded with garbage to stink it up.

The chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee said the GOP would embrace the increase to $7.25 per hour and probably attach a proposal passed last year that would make it easier for small business to band together and buy health insurance plans for employees at a lower cost. Rep. Howard McKeon, R-Calif., said the minimum wage bill probably will not include tax cuts such as a repeal of the estate tax.

It was not clear what other potential add-ons might soothe unhappy lawmakers and GOP opponents of a wage increase such as the small business lobby.

House Democrats cried foul on Thursday, saying Republicans planned to add "poison pills" for their business allies. Many Democrats oppose the small business health insurance legislation because it would overrule state laws requiring coverage for procedures such as diabetes care and cancer screenings.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California demanded a vote on a bill that would just increase the minimum wage. She spoke out against "the usual Republican poison pills of attaching tax cuts for the wealthy or other so-called sweeteners for the Republican special interests."

Did you catch that? The minimum wage bill probably will not include a repeal of the estate tax. And, it will also try to destroy the ability of states to require insurance companies to offer meaningful health coverage to policy holders.

Yet, Republican lawmakers will go home in August and ask "Why, oh why, did those nasty Democrats stand in the way of an increase in the minimum wage?"

Nah. No politics here.